10 signs and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome - Medical ...

Cramping, bloating, and constipation or diarrhea characterize irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In this article, we explore the reasons behind ... 10signsandsymptomsofirritablebowelsyndromeMedicallyreviewedbyAlanaBiggers,M.D.,MPH—WrittenbyLanaBurgessonJanuary23,2019PainandcrampsGasBloatingDiarrheaConstipationFoodsensitivityFatigueJointpainStressBrainfogWhatelsecoulditbe?OutlookIrritablebowelsyndromeisagutdisordercharacterizedbycramps,bloating,andboutsofconstipationanddiarrhea,amongothersymptoms.Disruptedcommunicationbetweenthegutandbraincausesthesignsandsymptomsofirritablebowelsyndrome(IBS).Thistypeofconditionisafunctionalgastrointestinaldisorder.ResearchisstillongoingintoexactlywhysomepeoplegetIBS.Itmaybethattheirgutisespeciallysensitivetostressorcertainfoods.Around12percentofadultsintheUnitedStateshaveIBS.WomenaretwiceaslikelytohaveIBSthanmen.Itisalsomorecommoninpeopleundertheageof50.Thisarticleexplores10symptomsofIBS.Readontolearnhowtorecognizeit.Wealsodiscussotherconditionsthatcouldcausesimilarsymptoms.1.PainandcrampsShareonPinterestApersonwithIBSwillexperiencepaininthelowerabdomen.ExperiencingpainandcrampsinthelowerabdomenaretwoofthemainsymptomsofIBS.Anoversensitivityofthegutlikelycausesthesesymptoms.IBSaffectshowthebrainandgutworktogether,andtheconditionmaycausethemusclesintheguttocontractmorethantheyneedtoforanormalbowelmovement.Excessivegutmusclecontractionsmayleadtolowerabdominalpainandcramping.2.ExcessivegasPeoplewithIBSmayexperienceexcessivegas.Doctorsdonotknowtheexactreasonforthis,thoughthereareseveraltheories.OnetheoryisthatIBScausesaproblemwithbacteriainthegut.Bacteriacancreatecertaintoxinsthatmaycauseexcessivegas.AnothertheoryisthatthegutsofpeoplewithIBSarelessabletotolerateandtransportgas.ThisleadstopeoplewithIBSfeelingmoregassythanotherpeople.3.BloatingFeelingbloatedisanothersymptomofIBS.Bloatingreferstoacollectionofgasinthegut,whichcancausetheabdomentofeelfullandappearrounderthanusual.ThesamefactorsthatcauseexcessivegasinIBSmayalsocausebloating.4.DiarrheaDiarrheaisakeysymptomofIBS.Ithappensbecausethemusclesinthegutcontractmorethantheyneedto.Diarrheamaybeaccompaniedbyafeelingofmusclecramps.Toproduceanormalbowelmovement,thegutcontractsandrelaxesinarhythmicway.InIBS,however,thisrhythmisdisrupted.IBScaneitherspeeduporslowdowngutmusclecontractions.So,IBScancausebothconstipationanddiarrheaatdifferenttimes.AswithotherIBSsymptoms,diarrheaisrelatedtohowthebrainandgutcommunicate.Researchintoexactlywhythishappensisongoing.5.ConstipationConstipationoccurswhenapersonfindsitdifficulttopassstool.Apersonhasconstipationwhentheyhave:fewerthanthreebowelmovementsinaweekhard,dry,orlumpystoolsdifficultyorpainwhenpassingstoolafeelingofanincompletebowelmovementTherearemanypossiblecausesofconstipation,includingdehydration,alackoffiberinthediet,andstress.IBScanalsocauseconstipationbyaffectinghowthemusclesinthegutcontract.Whensomeoneisconstipated,theirgutmusclesdonotcontractasmuchastheyshould.Dependingonaperson’sspecificsymptoms,adoctormayrefertothefollowingtypesofIBS:IBSwithdiarrhea,whichisdiarrheaandonlyoccasionalconstipationIBSwithconstipation,whichisconstipationandonlyoccasionaldiarrheaIBSwithmixedbowelhabits,whichiswhenapersonregularlyhasbothconstipationanddiarrheaDoctorsmayalsorefertoconstipation-predominantanddiarrhea-predominantIBS.6.Sensitivitytofermentableoligo-,di-,mono-saccharidesandpolyolsShareonPinterestEatingonionsorgarliccanincreaseintestinalgas.PeoplewithIBSmaybemoresensitivetofermentableoligo-,di-,mono-saccharidesandpolyols(FODMAP)foods.Thesearetypesofcarbohydratethatcancauseinflammationorirritationinthegut.FODMAPscanincreasetheamountofwatergoingintothegut,andbacteriainthegutmaycausethemtoferment.Thiscanincreaseintestinalgas.PeoplemaybeabletoreducethesymptomsofIBSbyavoidinghigh-FODMAPfoods,whichinclude:onionsavocadoslentilsgarlicbeansalmondscashewsFormanypeoplewithIBS,eatingFODMAPstriggersotherIBSsignsandsymptoms.A2017meta-analysisfoundthatconsumingalow-FODMAPdietmayimprovesymptomsofIBS.LearnmoreaboutthelinkbetweenFODMAPdietsandIBShere.7.FatigueFeelingverytiredorfatiguedisanothercommonsymptomofIBS.OnereviewfoundthatfatigueoccurredalongsideotherIBSsymptoms,includingbowel-relatedsymptoms,psychologicaldistress,andhealth-relatedqualityoflife.Moreresearchisneeded,asmedicalprofessionalsstilldonotfullyunderstandwhyIBSsometimesleadstofatigue.8.JointpainPeoplewithIBSmaybemorelikelytoexperiencejointpain.Scientistsstilldonotknowwhy,butitmaybeduetoincreasedinflammationinthebody.A2017studyfoundthatpeoplewithIBShadanincreasedriskofatypeofjointpaincalledtemporomandibulardisorder.Moreresearchisneededtounderstandthislink,however.9.FeelingstressedThereisastronglinkbetweenIBSandstress.Thenervoussystemcontrolsthegutaswellasrespondstopsychologicalstress.ThelinkbetweenIBSandstressgoesbothways.FeelingstressedcanworsenIBSsymptoms,andthephysicalsymptomsofIBScancausepsychologicaldistress.10.BrainfogIntestinalgasandbloating,whicharesymptomsofIBS,arealsolinkedwithbrainfog.Brainfog,orfoggythinking,describesmentalconfusion,impairedjudgement,andtroubleconcentrating.Moreresearchisneededtofullyunderstandthelinkbetweenproblemswiththegutandbrainfog,however.Whatelsecoulditbe?ShareonPinterestSomeIBSandceliacdiseasesymptomsarethesame.IBSisnottheonlyexplanationforthesymptomsexploredinthisarticle.Itisbesttospeaktoadoctortogetaproperdiagnosis.ExperiencingexcessivegasorbloatingdoesnotnecessarilymeanthatapersonhasIBS.Iftheystarttobecomegassysoonaftereating,theymayhavesmallintestinalbacterialovergrowth.Also,gettingdiarrheafrequentlyorurgentlymaybeasignof:inflammatoryboweldiseaseceliacdiseasebileacidmalabsorptiondumpingsyndromeOutlookIBSisalong-termhealthconditionthatcanaffectaperson’swell-beingiftheydonotseektreatment.UnderstandingthesignsandsymptomsofIBScanhelpapersonexperiencingtheconditiontogetappropriatehelp.ManytreatmentoptionsareavailabletohelpapersonwithIBSmanagetheircondition.ManyofthesefocusonthelinkbetweenstressandIBS.Adoctormayalsorecommendcounselingandprogressiverelaxationtechniquesasawaytoeasesymptoms.LastmedicallyreviewedonJanuary23,2019IrritableBowelSyndromeGastroIntestinal/GastroenterologyNutrition/DietMedicallyreviewedbyAlanaBiggers,M.D.,MPH—WrittenbyLanaBurgessonJanuary23,2019LatestnewsModeratealcoholconsumption‘shouldnotberecommendedforhealthreasons’COVID-19:Dovaccinesprotectbetterthaninfection-inducedimmunity?Cleaneating:Whatdoestheresearchsay?AchangeindietmayreduceriskoflethalprostatecancerRegularlyconsumingfishmayprotectbrainhealthRelatedCoverageHowtogetridoftrappedgasMedicallyreviewedbySaurabhSethi,M.D.,MPHGaspaincanbeuncomfortable,orsoseverethatitcaninterruptdailyactivities.Luckily,plentyofsimplehomeremediescanbringrelief.Quitting…READMOREHowtopreventbloatingafteramealMedicallyreviewedbyElaineK.Luo,M.D.Bloatingaftereatingisafeelingthatmostpeopleexperienceoccasionally.Itcancauseswellinganddiscomfortintheabdomen,aswellas…READMOREWilldigestiveenzymeshelpIBS?MedicallyreviewedbyMicheleCho-Dorado,MDAlookatdigestiveenzymesforIBS,awayofintroducingproteinstothebodytoencouragebetterguthealth.Includedisdetailonwhatthestudies…READMOREAllyouneedtoknowaboutirritablebowelsyndrome(IBS)MedicallyreviewedbySaurabhSethi,M.D.,MPHIrritablebowelsyndrome(IBS)isachronicdisorderthatcausesabdominalpain,bloating,andalternatingdiarrheaandconstipation.Learnmoreabout…READMOREWhatshouldyounoteatforIBS?MedicallyreviewedbyJillianKubala,MS,RDHere,findalistoffoodsanddrinksthatcantriggerIBSsymptoms.Wealsodescribefoodgroupstosteerclearofandtipsforeatinginrestaurants.READMORE